Sasuke's Favor
by SeussPepper
Summary: As a favor to Sakura, Sasuke accompanies her to a fancy party to help her get accepted to a medical internship, but he overhears other people talking about her.


This is set before _Sasuke's Secret, _my other story. All of my stories will be set in the same world before or during Sasuke and Sakura's relationship. This is before.

**Backstory:** Sasuke returned to the village after killing Itachi and getting his revenge. He doesn't know the truth about Danto's involvement and Itachi's true motives. He was pardoned and rised through the ranks as a ninja and is slowly rebuilding his bonds.

**7:25 pm**

Sasuke was almost done putting his suit on. He couldn't quite get his tie right, though. If he knew it'd be this much of a hassle he never would've agreed to help Sakura. She was trying to get accepted to an "aspiring doctor's internship" and this party would be crucial to getting accepted. Sasuke left the village, killed two S-class criminals and came back which made him pretty famous. Having him by her side would help her stand out and would hopefully get her accepted. He still doesn't quite remember how she convinced him to go. After all this time she was the only one he's come close to opening up to.

Sasuke was almost done getting ready when there was a knock at his door. It must be Sakura. He was just wearing a plain black suit, white shirt and a blue tie he was still struggling to put on when he opened the door. He was speechless when he saw Sakura wearing an elegant blue dress, high heels and a silver necklace. She looked absolutely stunning, but Sasuke wouldn't admit that.

"Hi Sasuke-kun," she smiled so sweetly, "let me help you with that." Sakura got close to him and adjusted his tie.

"Hn," was all he'd say.

She finished helping him so she took a step back, "There. You look great!"

"Thanks. Uh, you too."

Sakura blushed and smiled cutely, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

The two of them began walking to the party when, surprisingly, Sasuke broke the silence:

"Is this party the interview?"

"No I already nailed the interview. This is just for them to get to know the candidates. Tsunade said this is where they really make their decision. That's why I'm so glad you agreed to come."

"This is the only time my 'fame' has been useful," he responded.

"Oh you've always been popular. Now the whole village knows all the good you've done," she cheerfully told him.

"Well I'm still getting used to it," Sasuke replied.

"You'll do fine. Just say hi, eat some food with us and please, be nice. This could make or break my internship," Sakura coaxed.

"I'll try. How good is this internship anyway?"

"Soo good! I'm honestly surprised I've gotten this far," Sakura admitted humbly.

"Nah I'm sure you'll get in," Sasuke assured her.

In the next instant he realized how weird it felt to pay a compliment so he tried to distance himself from it:

"How long's this gonna be?"

"Should just be a couple hours."

"Uh yeah ok."

"Maybe we could just introduce ourselves and slip out early. Maybe go to a late night diner?"

"No"

Sasuke rejected her from many invitations, yet her spirits still haven't been dampened.

They continued their walk.

**7:57 pm**

They entered the high-class party. There was music, crowds and tables of food. This was definitely not Sasuke's scene and Sakura knew it.

"Alright this is it. Okay okay, big smiles. Let's do this," Sakura persuaded.

"Hn," was all he replied.

She literally dragged him to a small group of people talking in a circle.

"Oh Sakura glad you could come!" a stuffy old doctor told them, "You and your friend should come join us."

The two of them joined the conversation.

"Well who are you?" a young woman, probably also interviewing for the position, asked Sasuke seductively.

"This is my friend, Sasuke. Sasuke _Uchiha_," Sakura informed her.

There was a gentle gasp of amazement.

"Ooh I've only heard stories about you. You're the one that killed Orochimaru, right?"

"Yeah that was me," Sasuke replied in the tone of someone not used to being the center of attention.

Everyone in the circle at once began asking questions like "How'd you do it?" "Didn't he train you?" "What about your brother?"

"I'm…just gonna get Sakura-chan and I some drinks," he said slowly before quickly walking away.

That was the first time he used-chan with her name. She was surprised at how committed he was to helping her.

Sasuke walked off to get away from the spotlight. He poured Sakura and himself a couple of glasses of cider or something; he didn't know much about food besides tomatoes. He paused for a few moments, not wanting to go back to the spotlight. He had to muster up the courage to go back and support his friend, but deep down he knew it was worth it.

Thankfully when he got back they were more focused on new healing jutsus or something. He just handed Sakura her drink, tried to look interested and nodded on occasion.

Sakura leaned towards Sasuke and whispered "Oh Sasuke-kun look! It's the Chief of Medicine! He's the one who decides who gets to intern with him. I'm gonna go introduce myself."

"Alright I'll come with you," he replied.

"No! There's a rumor that he doesn't like being overcrowded; I'll go alone. Stay here, maybe mingle a little," Sakura rushed to say as she ran off, leaving him alone with these strangers.

"So, I heard you were undercover with Orochimaru, is that true?" one of the strangers asked.

"No," he spat out as he left the group.

He walked across the floor having to occasionally shoving past some people. That's when he heard various people talking about him:

"That's him! The last Uchiha!" "I thought he was a traitor?" "When did he get back?"

He heard them gossiping. Some of them pointed at him. Most of them were staring at him. He couldn't take this. He looked down and pushed his way to the bathroom to just away from them. He couldn't handle the jeers without Sakura.

Inside the bathroom there were two men about his age washing their hands. They didn't notice him enter.

"I think she's from right here in Konoha," one of them said.

"Well she's the hottest one I've seen here yet," the other commented.

"God she has a nice ass."

"Yeah I think her name's Sakura if you want to look her up. Ha! If I don't get her back to my hotel tonight!"

"Hey!" Sasuke shouted at them, "You're talking about my friend!"

"Oh damn uh, we didn't realize she was taken!" one of them explained.

"No it's not like that. We're just friends," Sasuke clarified before threatening: "You have two options: go apologize to her and leave this building right now or you can leave tomorrow morning wondering whether nor not you have a concussion."

"My father is the Chief of Medicine! You can't talk to me like that and I'm not leaving or apologizing to shit!"

Sasuke left the bathroom disappointed that his knuckles would bruise tomorrow morning.

**8:44**

Sasuke was walking down an isolated hallway with his tie undone a bit when he passed some people. He didn't notice who they were until he passed them and heard an old voice say:

"I don't know her grades weren't very impressive. Plus she was kind of annoying!" he said with a laugh.

Between the obnoxious stares and questions and the punks in the bathroom he had to knock out, he was done making rational decisions.

"Hey. Who are you talking about?" he demanded to know as he turned around.

The old men turned around revealing one of them to be the Chief of Medicine who said:

"Sakura Harno—no, Haruno. Sakura Haruno that's it."

"Agh fuck you! Sakura is the best medic I have ever worked with. Her grades don't matter; what matters is how talented, kind and determined she is. She would be my first choice to bring on any mission and you're a God damn idiot if you don't see that! And she isn't even that annoying!" he yelled at them.

"Sasuke-kun? Do you really mean that?"

He turned around to see Sakura staring at him with an enormous sense of happiness.

"Let's go I think were done here," Sasuke told her as he began walking away.

Sakura looked at the Chief and then at Sasuke and then decided to catch up to Sasuke.

The two of them walked out of the building into the cool night air without saying a word until, this time, Sakura broke the silence:

"So, did you really mean what you said?"

"Yeah," Sasuke let her know as he starred at the stars.

"I, I didn't—well I'm just glad I'm seeing this side of you," she said with a big smile.

"You're not angry?" he looked at her quizzically, "I probably ruined your chances of getting admitted."

"Well, you called him an idiot but you also said some nice things about me. I guess there's still a chance," Sakura optimistically assured him.

"I also knocked his son out," he informed her with a smirk.

"What? Why'd you do that?" she asked.

There was a minute of silence.

"We didn't get a chance to eat in there. Wanna go get something to eat?"

"Yes!" she instinctively replied.

He didn't want to tell her the objectifying comments that were said about her. It was still in his nature to protect her still.

The two of them walked off into the calm night and Sakura felt like she was in a dream. Sakura probably wouldn't get the internship now. Sasuke would probably go back to ignoring her the next day. But, for the moment she felt like they were friends and despite the train wreck of a night, she wouldn't have changed a thing. This was the happiest she's been in a long time, and she wouldn't know it yet, but Sasuke felt the same exact way.


End file.
